


Leap of Faith

by FopMistress



Category: Casualty (TV)
Genre: Best Friends, Declarations Of Love, Divorce, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-24 06:53:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30068346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FopMistress/pseuds/FopMistress
Summary: This is expanding the end of the episode of Casualty where Faith goes to Dylan's boat after telling Lev it's all over. However, things aren't that simple - especially when there's a hurt and possessive ex in denial involved. Another chapter is coming.This is my first work for some years and I'm sorry I've been away. I've had a lot going on personally and this is the first time I've felt able to write again now I have my life sorted out. I'm just glad my username and password still worked! Thanks for reading.PS - I have good friends who live on a houseboat and I've based Dylan's boat on theirs.
Relationships: Faith Cadogan/Dylan Keogh, Faith Cadogan/Lev Malinovsky
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

Dylan saw Faith through the glass on his house boat. Faith was standing there, quietly waiting for him to let her in. She looked back at him, hopefully. She knew he could refuse to let her in, to tell her to go back home to Lev but she was prepared to take the risk. Was he? Dylan was shocked to see her but his heart was racing as well. He had never stopped loving her and his polite enquiries about Lev and Faith’s relationship were exactly that. He knew, even if she didn’t, that it was just a matter of time before the inevitable happened. Deliberately looking at a new house at work was his subtle way of letting Faith know that he was both serious about her and letting Lev know he wasn’t giving up on her. Faith had never shown up without an invitation to his boat before. He opened the door and quietly let her in.

She walked up to him and put her arms around him. He took a moment to respond, eyes darting nervously, hardly daring to believe that she was here. He pulled her gently towards him, still waiting for her to say why was really here. He wasn’t sure he could take any more rejection from her. They had told each other they loved each other ages ago when they had the ambulance accident but she had insisted that she wanted to work on her marriage even though Dylan had caught Lev kissing another man.

“I’ve left Lev” she quietly said and reached up to kiss him. He didn’t need to hear any more. All the months of aching for her took over and he kissed her back with such need that she moaned in response. Lev hadn’t kissed her properly for months – just a dry salute on a cheek or a quick peck on the mouth and he hadn’t touched her since he had admitted having sex with someone he met on on a gay hook-up site. Faith knew that he was in total denial about being gay even though they had been to couple counselling. He would shut down every conversation about it or at the very best admit it was a one off and insist that he still loved her. They did love one another but they weren’t in love any more. It took Faith stripping off her nurse’s shirt and unbuttoning her trousers at the ambulance station and Lev not even stepping forward to hold her to force the answer he wouldn’t and couldn’t give. A husband still in love with his wife and who wanted her would have laughed at her chutzpah, kissed her and pulled her into the toilets for a quickie.

“Please make love to me, Dylan. I need you to.”

Dylan really wasn’t expecting this and he blinked and inhaled to regain composure. It should’ve been all his Christmases coming at once that the woman he had loved from afar for so long had finally left her husband for him but he was suddenly a bag of nerves.

“Obviously I’d love to do nothing more but... it’s definitely all over?”

That wasn’t an unreasonable question and Faith understood.

“Lev hasn’t touched me since I found out he had sex with that man. I went to the ambulance station and told him if he wasn’t gay, he would have sex with me then and there. I - “

She blushed and stopped, suddenly totally embarrassed. "Go, on. You know you can talk to me. Please tell me what happened." Faith took a steadying breath and continued. “I even took off my top and unbuttoned my trousers and just stood there in my bra. He got flustered and told me I was beautiful and he loved me but that was it. He didn’t want me. I had to be certain there was no way back and we had tried everything. The couple counselling wasn’t working. He just kept refusing to admit that he was gay and said that he had some mad brainstorm that made him do it, like a moment of madness. I don’t think he fooled the counsellor and he doesn’t fool me. I just want him to admit to it and accept who he is so he can move forward. I want to be civil with him for the kids and I don’t hate him but I’m done. I’m totally done. I’m tired of trying to mend something that’s just broken. I’m here Dylan and I’m so sorry. You were right to tell me what you did and I love you. I meant what I said.”

By this time her eyes were full of tears as she relived the humiliation of her husband physically rejecting her and ending her marriage and her gaze was pleading.

“You’d better come in then, bit open to people looking here and I think you’ve already given one man a show he didn’t expect.” Faith burst into giggles in spite of herself. Dylan’s sense of humour was bone dry but his timing was usually perfect. She felt her shoulders relaxing and followed him into the boat. He pulled all the blinds down in the small living room of the boat and gently took off her coat and scarf, setting them on a couch. It was warm and inviting in there and a wood fire crackled in a stove in a far corner.

“It’s a bit messy in my bedroom. We might have to fight to get to the bed because of Dervla but we can try. She’s the boss in here. Sorry – it’s been a while if you know what I mean. It’s usually just me and her in here.” “It’s fine. I just want to be with you. It’s really lovely and cosy in here.” “Hmmpf.” Dylan nodded and gestured for her to follow. He could feel himself relaxing slightly. He would make this work. He would do whatever it took to make this wonderful woman happy. That’s all he wanted.

She followed him down a little corridor and she heard the tic tic of dog’s claws on the wooden floor first as his dog came up to her, wagging her tail. Faith bent to fondle Dervla’s ears and then she trotted off toward the couch in the living room part of the boat, happy that she had been fussed over. “The bathroom is to your left. The boat toilet’s a bit eccentric if you’re not used to it as you have to press one button to flush it if you do a wee and another for a complete flush for everything else, but you’ll get the hang of it, I’m sure.” She slid the wooden door open and peeped in. It was tiny but very clean and all mod cons were there. There was the apparently eccentric toilet that just looked normal but with some buttons instead of a handle, a shower cubicle and even a built in washing machine which was a top loader instead of a front loader one. That was different.

While she was having a nose about, he tidied up some clothes that were lying on the little bedroom floor and straightened the duvet on the bed. When Faith joined him, she knew he was nervous. She could read people very quickly due to being a nurse for so long and she often had to assess what people didn’t say as well as what they did. She walked up to him and started unbuttoning his white shirt, sliding her hands in to stroke his chest gently. He then took it off himself and then after saying “May I?” and seeing her nod, gently took off her top and looked her up and down. “You _are_ beautiful. I love you, Faith.”

They kissed and clung to each other as they slowly and tenderly touched each other then Dylan pulled off her bra top and Faith guided his hands to her breasts. Time moved quickly as they stripped off the rest of their clothes and looked at each other, liking very much what each other saw. Dylan kissed her quickly then sank to his knees, ready to finally worship the woman he loved so utterly and completely. He gently parted her legs and Faith cradled his head as he made her legs tremble and her knees buckle, crying out his name.

Later, her dark hair softly falling around her, she leant above him and gasped as she finally felt him inside her, taking her time to savour being with this absolutely beautiful man that she was made for. They both wanted to savour this first time that they had both secretly longed for. He leant up to kiss her and touch her body with his careful and gentle doctor’s hands as she whispered “yes, yes” in response. He would do anything to make her cry out like that again and after he had cried out her name and they lay in the darkness facing each other, he asked her if she had climaxed. “Now, I can tell if you did, you know. I am a doctor!” he teased.

“Alright then, Doctor Keogh, I didn’t. I sometimes don’t come like that but it’s fine. You’re very good though...like before. That was very, very good.”

Faith could see Dylan smile in the half-light. “I’ve been told my bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired sometimes but that’s in the ED. Must do better, Doctor Keogh. Now, if you could just lie flat for me, I want to make you call out my name again. I must insist.”

“Doctor’s orders?” Faith chuckled.

“Absolutely.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dylan and Faith enjoy each other's company on the boat but they're not alone.

“Dervla? What are you barking at? Bloody dog. I’ll have to see what’s the matter with her, maybe she needs to go out for a minute to do her business.”

Faith sat up as Dylan got out of bed and started getting dressed.

“Do you want me to come with you?”

“Oh no, make yourself comfortable. I won’t be long. She only barks if she thinks she hears something, she’s very good really. Just help yourself if you want a cup of tea.”

Faith smiled. “I’ll get the kettle on for when you come back in.”

Dylan kissed her. “I’ll be back soon. I’ll even let you have some Hob Nobs.”

Faith sat back against her pillow and enjoyed hearing him call Dervla and leave the boat. She heard the door lock. She could get used to this. The wonderful feeling of just having great sex with a man that she had fancied the pants off for months and was also a best friend. She had forgotten what that first flush of being in love with someone was like and when everything felt uncomplicated and free. Well, everything outside the boat could wait for a little bit longer. The kids were at her Mum’s for the night and she said she would be back later to get the kids up in the morning. Lev was supposed to be packing enough clothes up so that he could move out into a friend’s spare room. She got out of bed and got dressed. Spotting Dylan’s NHS hoodie, she picked it up and smelled it before putting it on to keep warm, inhaling the familiar scent of hospitals and him. After having a little look in the cupboards like you do in anyone’s new house, she put the old style whistle kettle onto boil. She would have to ask why he didn’t have an electric one. She found the half opened packet of Hob Nobs as well and got two cups ready, helping herself to a Hob Nob while she waited. Her mind drifted off to summer nights sitting outside the boat having a takeaway and a drink with him. She smiled at the internal mental picture of a balmy night in mid summer with the sky gently fading to black, taking about anything and nothing. Leaning in for a tingly kiss and the anticipation of the lovemaking to come. Oh Dylan was so good in bed….she closed her eyes as she remembered. She’d never be able to look at his hands in the same way again. The hands that healed, tended, cared and also made her body totally sing in a way it never quite had before with Lev. She had kissed his hands afterwards.

She heard footsteps outside coming closer to the boat and they stopped briefly then she could hear them fading away again. “Dylan?” she called out and got no reply. Faith frowned. Was someone outside? She opened one of the blinds but couldn’t see anything obvious in the dark and closed them again. Oh well, it must be one of the other boaters she supposed and the kettle began to whistle. She poured herself a cup and sat back down on the sofa. Five minutes later she heard “Dylan call out “Just me, Faith” and let himself back in. Dervla bounded in ahead of him and ran straight over to Faith, tail furiously wagging. “Hello sweetheart.” Faith set her cup down and said hello to her, rubbing her ears and cuddling her.

“Everything alright?” Dylan said as he came in carrying Dervla’s lead which he hung up.

“Fine thank you. I’ll make you a cuppa. The kettle’s just boiled. I was meaning to ask – why do you have a whistly kettle instead of a normal one?”

“It’s the electrics on the boat. It’s hooked up to the mains as you can see outside, but its to try to stop too much strain on it. When you switch something on, it puts a strain on the power supply and when I need to take the boat out and and go to empty the sewage tank for example, then the boat’s own power supply takes over and its not as robust. Sorry, I must sound like a nerd. I’ll get my own, I’m just enjoying seeing you with Dervla. My two favourite ladies together.”

“I didn’t know you could be such an old charmer, Dylan!”

“Oh please don’t tell anyone. It’s very bad for my image.” He winked at her and made his tea. Dervla was sitting on the couch with Faith and Dylan sat beside Faith and kissed her.

“Care for a HobNob?”

“Yes please. Dylan, did you come back to the boat for a minute earlier? I’m sure I heard someone outside, but I looked and I couldn’t see anyone.”

“No, I didn’t. It’s surprisingly busy outside here, there’s always someone going about so don’t worry. It’s pretty safe down here. Would you like us to walk you back to your Mum’s?”

“It’s about half an hour walk at least. I was just going to get a taxi. Are you sure?”

“It’s a lovely night out there and Dervla always loves a good walk. It’s for her benefit obviously. It’s not that I want to spend more time with you at all of course.”

“But of course.” They smiled at each other and finished their drinks.

“You’re already stealing my clothes and you’ve been here 5 minutes” he joked, pointing at his hoodie. “I’m not complaining, it looks far better on you...I’m just glad you’re finally here. I’ve waited so long.”

They leaned in and their heads met.

“You do know this isn’t going to be easy? I’ve got my life to sort out...the kids, a divorce. This is only the start of it. Lev and I have only just separated. I don’t want to scare you off at all but I just feel it’s a big ask. We’ve got a long road to where we all need to get to.”

“Faith, I work with you. I know what your life is by now. I _know_ you. You come as a package deal and I understand that. Remember, you saw I was looking at houses? I’m going to sell the boat and use the money as a deposit on a house for us all. We’ll go as slowly as you want and I’m not going anywhere, _I promise._ ”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Dylan walked Faith back to her Mum’s and Faith linked arms with him. They walked back in companionable silence and Faith stopped him at a couple of door before her Mum’s house.

“I’d better stop here in case my Mum is looking out. I’d rather tell Lev myself about us than him finding out from my Mum, if that’s alright. He’s still pretty raw about it all. I mean, he’s not stupid and he probably knows by now that I would go to you but I don’t want to be unkind to him. He deserves to hear it from me.”

“No, that’s fine. Whatever you think is best. Can I kiss you goodnight? I’ll wait here and watch until you’re safely inside.”

“Night sweetheart” Faith said softly and kissed him. “See you at work tomorrow.”

“See you at work.”

Dylan and Dervla stood and watched Faith let herself in to the house. He whistled on Dervla and quietly left.

They had been so wrapped up in each other that they hadn’t noticed Lev following them at a discreet distance, deliberately hanging back and darting into doorways and behind cars when they looked back. He had learned how to make himself quickly invisible when he was a right-wing thug in the bad old days. He had been at the boat, trying to see if Faith was in there with Dylan and left before he was noticed. He was crouching behind a car, tears of rage streaming down his face.

FAITH WAS STILL HIS WIFE.


End file.
